Think before you speak.

I’ve heard many people in my life use the phrase “go to hell” toward another person, and I cringe every time. As humans we have become desensitized to this phrase because of movies, books, and television, and most people don’t truly take the time to realize what they’re saying.

It’s not just another catchphrase one might say when angry like:
get away from me
go jump off a bridge
take a hike
get lost

though many people try to equate it with such.

It’s not even on the same level as telling someone you wish they were dead, because death is not the worst thing that can happen to someone.

Hell is.

Here’s the thing: whether you believe in heaven or hell has no bearing on whether it truly exists. You don’t have that power.

I could tell you all day long that there’s a city in Illinois called Nauvoo, and you might be inclined to not believe me. But, with a bit of research, along with eyewitness statements, you’d realize it’s real. And you could learn a lot about Nauvoo just by reading, watching videos, or talking to others who live there.

The same can’t be said about hell. We can only go by what God has said about it.

When a person tells another person to go to hell, they’re really saying:
I hate you so much I hope you have eternal torture, eternal separation from anything good, eternal darkness and suffering, and no hope of ever seeing God.

Is that truly what we wish to communicate to someone casually?

Also, if you don’t believe in heaven or hell, why would you even want to use that phrase? It should have zero meaning to you. After all…”it doesn’t exist.”

I pray I never, nor anyone I know and love – even if I get mad at them – ever has to “go to hell.”